Senior US Official states missed call from Modi halted India–US trade deal
The assertion was made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a recent media appearance, where he addressed questions about why negotiations with India had stalled despite multiple rounds of talks.
Explaining his position, Lutnick said, “I had set the whole deal up. But let’s be clear. It is his deal. He is the closer. He does it. But you had to have Modi call President Trump,” adding that this expectation had been clearly communicated to New Delhi.
He went on to claim that Indian officials were uneasy with the idea of such a call, stating, “They (India) were uncomfortable with it. So, Modi didn’t call.”
India’s Foreign Ministry has since pushed back against this version of events. Responding to the remarks on Friday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The characterization of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate.”
He further emphasized that India “remains interested in a mutually beneficial trade deal between two complementary economies and looks forward to concluding it.”
India and the United States have completed six rounds of negotiations aimed at reaching a bilateral trade agreement. However, tensions increased after Washington imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods in August, with half of that levy described as a penalty linked to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
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